Margaret Fafa Akwetey is a Lecturer in the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. She has a PhD in Oceanography and Limnology, with specialisation in benthic ecology. Margaret worked as a Research Assistant/Teaching Associate at the University of Cape Coast since 2013 until her appointment as a Lecturer in 2021. She is passionate about education and outreach, and has led several community initiatives which introduced children to marine organisms. Margaret teaches several courses at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Active
Dr. (Mrs.) Margaret Fafa Awushie Akwetey
Lecturer - ( Senior Member ) Department of Fisheries and Aquatic SciencesField(s) of Specialization
Field(s) of Academic Interest
About
My teaching philosophies are grounded in pragmatism and inquiry-based teaching. I believe education should be holistic and equip students with the needed skills and knowledge that are applicable beyond the classroom.
Degrees
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Panelist
Sustainable Research and Innovation Congress Pretoria, SA.
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Presented a paper
2nd Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment Accra, Ghana.
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Participant
24th Biennial Conference, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Providence, USA.
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Facilitator
Contemporary Issues in Fisheries Management. Fisheries Leadership Short course for Practitioners funded by USAID/Fisheries Recovery Activity Ghana.
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Presenter
International and Regional Fisheries Institutional Frameworks and Bodies. Workshop on Destabilising Impacts of Distant Water Fishing Vessels (DWFV) in the Gulf of Guinea Yaounde, Cameroon.
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Guest Speaker
“Promoting Research Excellence for Impact on Marine Conservation in Africa”, Institute for Oceans and Fisheries Online Seminar Series University of British Columbia, Canada.
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Co-Facilitator
“Grants Proposal Writing Workshop” University for Development Studies.
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Presenter
“Performance of the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience”, Country Round Table Workshop Association of African Universities (AAU), Online.
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Facilitator
“Regional Political Parties Dialogue on Fisheries: Protecting Our Fish, Securing Our Future, Live Engagement on JoyNews TV Centre for National Culture, Cape Coast.
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Presenter
Professorial Inaugural Lecture on the topic “Our Oceans: Securing Our Common Future through Transformative Research” Medical School Auditorium, University of Cape Coast.
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Presenter
Africa’s Plastic Revolution: Advancing Global Solutions for Healthy Oceans, T.D. Walter Bean Professorship Public Lecture University of Waterloo, Canada.
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Presenter
Expanding the Impact of Research on Africa’s Blue Economy. National Consultative Workshop for the Formulation of a National Blue Economy Strategy for Angola Luanda, Angola.
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Panelist
Regional Steering Committee Workshop for the World Bank West African Coastal Resilience Investment Projects (WACA ReSiP and ReiP2) Banjul, Gambia.
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Facilitator
Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change. Short-term Training Course funded by USAID Ghana.
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Co-Discussant
“Expanding the Impact of Blue Economy in Africa” (with Professor Rashid Sumaila) World Bank Headquarters, Washington.
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Facilitator
Workshop on “Winning Research and Development Grants in a Competitive World” Bolgatanga Technical University, Ghana.
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Facilitator
Workshop on “Proposal and Grants writing” University of Ghana, Ghana.
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Speaker
Study Tour on Sustainable Fisheries Management & Leadership University of Rhode Island, United States.
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Presenter
Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Ghana Case Study. Bootcamp on moving fisheries from Vulnerability to Viability Puri, Delhi, India.
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Guest Speaker
Workshop Presentation on “Expanding the Impact of Research on Africa’s Blue Economy in Africa Hohai University, China.
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Participant
6th ACE Impact Regional Workshop of the World Bank and the Association of African Universities Accra (Online).
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Panelist
Seaweed (Sargassum) Invasion on the Ghanaian Coasts, Implications for the National Economy and Management Live TV Broadcast, GTV.
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Guest Speaker
“West African Fisheries”, Workshop by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) University of Makerere, Kampala, Uganda.
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National Geographic Explorer
National Geographic Society
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AFD-GDN Biodiversity and Development Award
Global Development Network (GDN) - New Delhi, India
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ASLO Global Outreach Initiative Award
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
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PhD scholarship
USAID/UCC Fisheries and Coastal Management Capacity Building Support Project
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Master Students Field Research Grant
Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Initiative (ICFG)
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2025 POGO-OceanX-OceanQuest Fellowship for Shipboard Training on the Around Africa mission aboard the OceanXplorer
Margaret Fafa Awushie Akwetey
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Member
Mothers in Science
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Member
National Geographic Society
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Member
University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG)
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Member
British Ecological Society (BES)
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Member
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)
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Member
Ghana Association of University Women (GAUW)
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Member
Ghana Science Association (GSA)
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Member
Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)
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Project Lead (Grantee)
Through a child’s eye - A snapshot of marine biodiversity. British Ecological Society Outreach Grant (Grant number: OR24/1039).
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Co-Investigator
An ecological assessment of selected sandy beaches in Ghana using benthic macrofauna and micro-plastics as Indicators. African Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) small grant
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Principal Investigator
Assessment of Ecosystem Based Livelihoods on Biodiversity of the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site - Funded by the Global Development Network under the Biodiversity and Development Awards
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Project Lead (Grantee)
Assessment of the impacts of beach seine fishery on benthic biodiversity along the coastline of Ghana - Funded by the National Geographic Society
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Team member (Aquatic ecologist)
A study on marine plastic pollution in Liberia (Consultancy) - Client: Conservation International
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Principal Investigator
Environmental Education towards the Protection of Biodiversity in the Brenu Lagoon, Ghana - Funded by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) under their Global Outreach Initiative (GOI)
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Project Lead for Ghana
Assessing the role of different types of knowledge for mainstreaming biodiversity conservation in Ramsar sites in Fiji and Ghana. AFD-GDN Biodiversity and Development Award
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ASLO Global Outreach Initiative Award
Environmental education towards the protection of biodiversity in the Brenu Lagoon, Ghana
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Principal Investigator
Assessment of the impacts of beach seine fishery on benthic communities along the central coast of Ghana - Funded by the PADI Foundation
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Team member, Contract for services to deliver a short course on Marine Litter under the OCPP
Cefas/UKAID
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Panel Chair, Reviewed Environmental Impact Statement of PECAN Energies for Offshore Exploration of Oil & Gas
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana, Secondi/Takoradi
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Team member, Contract for development of a short course on Marine Litter for the West Africa Region
Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) funded by Cefas/UKAID
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Team member, Contract services to conduct data collection surveys on abandoned lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) in Ghana
Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) funded by Cefas/UKAID
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Lead Consultant, Contract for the Development of Fishery Courses Syllabi for Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences (DoFAS), University of Liberia
IDA-V3100
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Panel Chair, Evaluation of Applications for recruitment of Environmental, Social Safeguards Officers for Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI)
World Bank funded West Africa Coastal Areas Management Programme
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Lead Consultant, Consultancy to review and align national fisheries and aquaculture polices and laws with the PFRS, regional instruments and global best practices for 15 AU Member States
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Lead Consultant, Mechanisms to Facilitate the Domestication of Global Instruments and Initiatives (2022)
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Lead Consultant, Identification of Issues for SIDS, Development of Draft Strategic Positions for SIDS
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Team member, Environmental Systems Analysis of the Avu Lagoon Protected area
Calgary Zoo Foundation
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Trainer, Conduct Marine Spatial Planning Workshop in Ghana
University of Liverpool
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Team member, Pre-feasibility study for nature-based intervention for Anlo Beach community in Ghana
Valued at US$32,365.00
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Team member, Marine Plastic Pollution Study in Liberia
Conservation International
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Team member, Vulnerability, Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate - WACA -VAR Workshop
World Bank
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Consultant, Support Development of Multi-sector Resilience Investment Programme for the West Africa Coastal Area Management Program
World Bank
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Consultant, Issues and Opportunities in the Ghanaian Fishery Sector: Addressing the context, prospects and challenges
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), United Kingdom
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Consultant, Estimations on renewable energy investments in Ghana
Highland Star Group (HSG) of Companies, Geneva, Switzerland
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Team Member, Regional Mapping of Experts and Institutions in Coastal management
World Bank
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Lead Consultant, Review of the Fisheries Act 2002 (act 625) and the Development of Draft Regulations for the conduct of Fisheries Impact Assessments
Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association (GITA) and GOGIG funded by DFID/UK
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Team member, Environmental baseline survey of water bodies in the Great Consolidated Diamond Ghana Limited (GCDGL) mining concession
AERC Ltd.
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Team member, Scoping Study on the Dredging of the Whin Estuary in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis
UCC Consultancy Unit/Consolidated Energy Ltd.
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Team member, Social Ecology of Anlo Beach Wetland of Ghana
Friends of the Nation/IUCN/French Global Environment Facility (GEF)
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Principal Investigator, Biodiversity Assessment of Urban Wetlands in the Western Region, Ghana with focus on Essei and Butuah Lagoons and the Whin River Estuary
USAID through Friends of the Nation